The present invention relates to a developing cartridge having an agitation unit and an image forming apparatus including the developing cartridge.
According to a typical electrophotography-type image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, a developing cartridge accommodating toner is detachably attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus. An agitator for agitating toner is rotatably disposed in a toner accommodating space of the developing cartridge.
One end of a rotation shaft of the agitator penetrates through a side wall of a casing which constitutes the toner accommodating space. A driving unit having a gear for transmitting driving force to the rotation shaft is provided on the penetrating portion of the rotation shaft. The gear has a detection target which allows a detecting unit provided on the image forming apparatus to detect a rotation condition of the rotation shaft.
According to a developing cartridge in related art, toner in the toner accommodating space is agitated by the rotation of the agitator which receives driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus through the gear. During agitation, the detecting unit detects the rotation condition of the rotation shaft.